announced
a recall on batteries used in some Apple iBook G4 and PowerBook
G4 laptop computers, saying the
batteries could overheat and pose a fire hazard to consumers.

It has been reported
that there are about 128,000 Apple units in the United States are affected
by the manufacturing
flaw, which is an
internal short in the batteries made by LG Chem Ltd. of
South Korea and assembled in Taiwan or China, the Consumer Product
Safety Commission spokesmen said.

Apple has received over six reports worldwide of batteries overheating,
including two reports in the United States.

"If you have a recalled battery, please stop using it and order a replacement
battery immediately. Once you have removed the battery, plug in the
AC adapter to power the computer. If you must temporarily use your
computer with the battery, do not leave it unattended and check for
signs of overheating," Apple warns.

"Our
first concern is for the safety of our customers," Apple said
in a statement. "However, we do not expect the cost of the recall
to be material to Apple, and our supplier will bear those costs."

Only Llithium Ion
batteries used with the 12-inch iBook G4, 12-inch PowerBook G4 and
15-inch
PowerBook G4 are being recalled.
Those recalled batteries include batteied labeled with model number A1061,
A1078 and A1079 and with serial numbers that begin with HQ441 through
HQ507 or 3X446
through 3X510.

If you own one of the effected batteries, you should remove the battery
from the computer to view the model and serial numbers labeled on the
bottom
of
the unit.

The computers and batteries affected were sold at national and regional
Apple dealers, through catalogs and at Apple's online and retail stores
sold from October 2004 through May 2005 for between $900 to $2,300. The
batteries
were also sold separately through the same outlets.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission urges owners to stop
using the batteries immediately and contact Apple to arrange for a replacement
battery, free of charge.
Apple can be contacted regarding the battery recall at 1-800-275-2273
or on the following page at the company's Web
site: